Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-11-26
SATURDAY. NOVEMBER 26, 1887.
A Tarifi Cnmnromisn.

The New 10TH Hfrdfd Is an antl-1rO'
tectionist journal, but has said several
times lately that New York and New
Jersey arc both Protectionist States, and
therefore could not be carried by the
Democrats next year If Congress should
indulge itself in any legislation even
squirting at free trade, as any legisla-
ton would be considered as doing which
should have for its object the doing
away with protection rather than the
doing away with the surplus in the Fed
eral Treasury.
We would add to the Hcra'd's warning
that not only must the surplus revenue
he disposed of in some way, but tie
tariff and internal taxes must be 50
changed as 10 insure that there shall not
in the future be any danger Of a like
surplus. \ surplus in the Treasury
means a deficiency III the pockets of the
taxpayers. We would first of all have
all taxes on tobacco removed. Then the
tariff on sugar or some of the other neces-
saries of life might be reduced orabolished
altogether. But if Virginia is to
be saved to the Democrats next year
the Southwest must be consulted IN the
framing OF a new tariff.
We mean TO say that inasmuch as the
Senate is Republican, and there are in
the House of Representatives Democrats
holding various diverse opinions on tariff
questions, it Will be necessary to make a
compromise III dealing both with the
tariff taxes and with the internal taxes.
Mr.. WATTEHsON would lead the Demo
cratic party to inevitable defeat if he
should be selected as its fugleman. He
is firmly persuaded that there is no room
nor reason for compromise. All Protec-
tionists are, in his opinion, Rlpub
hcans, and all anti Protectionists Demo
Gratis. This theory would be
good one upon the hypothesis that there
is no other question before the country
so important as the Protection question.
If the people of Virginia and kentucky
and the South generally would rather
turn over the Government to the Repub
licans than to make any concessions to
the RANDALL wing OF the Democratic
partv. then OF course the Democratic
party would be justItiable in so framing
its national creed as to drive all the Ran
dallites out Of the party. In a word, ii
the peace of the South, and the rights of
the States, and the restoration OF national
harmony, are minor issues contrasted
with anti Protection, let us divide on the
latter issue.
But the anti Protectionists assume that
whilst there is no Democratic party
which it is worth their while to preserve
il the Protectionists are TO be members
Of it, the Protectionist Democrats are
bound to do all they can to save the
Democratic party from defeat, let them
be treated as they may This does not
seem to us to be fair. Either ant-Pro-
lection is more important than any or all
other party objects or else there ought
TO be no action taken by the Democratic
party in Congress or elsewhere which
would or could have the effect of dividing
that party into two factions on the tariff
question.
Here let us give a specimen of Mr..
WATTEBsoN's utterances. He says:
eve ask the attention of time-serying
journals and politicians TO these facts.
They mean that the Democrats could not
retreat if they would they must go for
ward. In New York their utterancos
were distinct, well defined, unayolda-
BILE, and they gained. Ia Virginia they
adopted the Republican idea and on the
popular vote they lost the State by
1900"
"Time-serving journals and politi-
clans" are of course those Democrats
and Democratic journals that do not
concur in Mr.. WATTERsoN's views on the
tariff question. Now, he is totally mis-
taken as to his facts The Roanoke
tarifT-plank saved the State of Virginia
10 the Democrats If it had any decided
effect upon the result of the late cleo
tions here. We did not lose our State
by 1900, but carried it by more than
two thousand votes and under circum-
stances which render it certain that
Virginia will vote for CLEVELAND next
year if the Democrats wisely treat the
tariff question.
But Mr.. WATTHRsoN is also grossly III
error as 10 the utterances OF the Demo
cratic party in New York. The iron
]. and .Seet BUitetin, the organ Of those
workingmen in New York and elsewhere
who will vote with no party that at
tempts 10 interfere with established
businesses, says that the tariff resolution
which was inserted in the Saratoga plat
form alarmed the keen politicians of
Tammsny Hall, aud when they met on
Friday. October Dist, TO endorse the
State ticket and nominate u county
ticket. they boldly repudiated the plat
form OF the Saratoga convention and
adopted the following resolution
ave disclaim the doctrine of free
trade, and aver that as a political prin-
ciple il has no place in a Democratic
platform. A good tariff system must be
maintained as the best mode OF collect
ing national revenue, with protection TO
home labor in all the manufacturing IN
dustries against the underpaid and pau
per labor of foreign lands.
Surely Tammany Democrats are OF
ihe right stripe. VIII Mr.. WATrERsoN
turn Tammany out Of the Democratic
party2 Then he will turn New York
State out Of the Democratic party.
The Batletin adds that this action by
Tamnany Hail undoubtedly had the Of
feet OF preventing many Protectionist